Fresh, Boscia, or Origins

Hello! I'm looking to redo my regimen to use gentler products. I have acne prone skin with a significant amount of discoloration from my hormonal breakouts. I've been using Kate Somerville for years but it doesn't seem to be working for me anymore, so I want to switch to another line that is gentler. I am looking for a cleanser, toner, moisturizer, and sunscreen

Re: Fresh, Boscia, or Origins

I have trouble with breakouts as well, and have been happy with the Peter Thomas Roth Camu Camu moisturizer, serum, and sleep mask; they brighten up my complexion, which makes the discolorations less noticeable. I use Vasanti rejuvenating enzymatic exfoliating crystals a couple times a week as well. The crystals are rough in texture, but with a light hand the exfoliation is pretty gentle.

Recently I got a sample in-store of the Boscia Tsubaki oil-infused exfoliating powder, and I ended up buying the full-size product, but not to use as an exfoliator. I've found if I mix it with a little extra water it foams up into a super gentle but effective cleanser that removes my makeup really well but doesn't dry out my skin at night and leave it with that tight feeling that happens with some other cleansers, so it might be worth looking into that and seeing how it works for you.

Re: Fresh, Boscia, or Origins

I also have very sensitive skin. A couple Christmases ago sephora had the boscia set for $10. Deluxe trial versions of their cleanser, day lotion, night lotion and mask. After trying out the products I fell in love. Its a clean brand and works wonderfully with my skin. I have the full line at home. Have sephora give you samples of the products you're thinking of getting and compare how your skin reacts. Another brand to check out is Caudalie.

Re: Fresh, Boscia, or Origins

Well, I'm in love with both Fresh and Boscia. Ever since I tried them that's been my go to. I use the black cleanser from boscia and for moisturizer I use the fresh seaberry oil. I don't think I'll stray from these brands. I just use water toner, but the one that hydrated me the most was from benefit (this site doesn't sell it). For sunscreen I use shiseido spf 50 for face and body, if it's morning i'll use my garnier gel moisturizer although when I am able to buy again, I'm buying the black gel from boscia.

Re: Fresh, Boscia, or Origins

I forgot to mention, for lip balm i use the smith's strawberry lip balm, it's those that are in the stand by checkout I really love it, you get the scent of the strawberry without the tint. You get a lot of product for what you're paying which is like 6 or 7 dollars, pretty good deal. It's a thin balm, I think it's perfect for wearing under a lipstick.

Re: Fresh, Boscia, or Origins

Definitely use products from multiple lines as needed. I have sensitive, combination, acneic skin. My choices:

(1) cleansers -- I like an everyday cleanser and a stepped-up cleanser. I alternate. I only use the gentle cleanser with the Clarisonic Mia 2. My gentle/everyday cleanser these days is FAB cleanser, but I also like Fresh soy Cleanser. My stepped-up cleanser single divine, under-the-radar Tria Foam Cleanser.

(2) I don't think Sephora has a great toner collection. I like many of paulas choice cleansers, especially the one for acne/aging skin and the pore reducing one.

(3) I love the Dr Gross hyaluronic moisture cushion and his age erase moisturizer.

(4) for sunscreen -- it is pretty hard to do better than CeraVe AM, IMHO!

Re: Fresh, Boscia, or Origins

I also don't recommend being very strict with your skincare and only using one specific brand for everything. You can always mix and match to make sure you have the best routine possible for your skin concerns.

I have discoloration from past breakouts and I still break out regularly. One of my favorite products is Boscia's Detoxifying Black Cleanser. When my skin is breaking out, this is one of the few products that I have found that really makes a difference in how quickly my skin heals. This cleanser warms when it is mixed with water and feels very nice as it is massaged onto the skin. This cleanser also contains glycolic acid and artichoke extract which help clarify the skin and even out the skintone. I highly recommend giving this product a try.

My favorite toner is Clinique's Moisture Surge Face Spray. Although this product is not marketed specifically as a toner, I use it that way and I have found it to be very effective. It is extremely soothing and does not irritate my skin at all. It contains aloe and is completely oil-free. It is like a drink of water for my face!

In terms of moisturizer, one of my favorites is Philosophy's Hope Oil-Free SPF 30. This moisturizer is relatively basic, but it does a great job at delivering the perfect amount of moisture to my skin and doesn't cause additional breakouts or irritation. Good luck with your new routine!

What it is:An oil-free face spray that rapidly replenishes skin's moisture level, restoring balance, softening, and soothing. What it is formulated to do:Bursting with moisture and active aloe, this must-have oil-free face spray softens and sooth

Re: Fresh, Boscia, or Origins

By using the same things year after year, the skin does get used to the product.

I use a variety of products from various brands.

Clinique I don't like, they don't have great ingredients, and made my skin unbalanced. However, their Dark sport corrector is gentle and does work with time (with anything it takes about 3 months for results to be seen).

Origins mega bright line is supposed to be good for discoloration also.

Re: Fresh, Boscia, or Origins

There's no rule that states you have to keep a regimen all to one line, in fact, it's more important to have each product cater best to your skin and the matter you wish it to address and then check to be sure formulas work well together in support.

What products from Kate Somerville were you using and what does your AM and PM regimen currently include (please also note any supplementary/weekly steps like scrubs, peels, or masks)? When you say the Kate products don't seem to be working anymore, could you detail that out more? Did you notice that your skin maybe changed and new or different issues have come about? Are you inferring that the items aren't handling and resolving matters well enough?

Re: Fresh, Boscia, or Origins

I agree; you don't have to stick to one line at all. You should try all of those products to see what works for you. Just remember that trying them is a commitment; it takes a couple of weeks to see "real" results, so you have to be patient.

Re: Fresh, Boscia, or Origins

I wouldn't necessarily limit yourself to a single brand. I use a variety of different brands to treat my skin. Fortunately its less acne prone now and I generally get the hormonal breakouts only but I'm prone to breakouts from make up so I've cut down on certain products but am still dealing with the scarring from that.

Here are products that I like-

Masks

Origins Charcoal Mask - helps reduce oiliness for me/cleans out pores

A sulfur mask - I used to use the one from Proactiv but they've updated it, I need to get one of the new versions. I like sufur masks for acne treatment

Glamglow - expensive, but works. The first time I used it on my nose it literally obliterated all my blackheads and I couldn't believe how smooth and pore free my nose looked. its only temporary though and i don't get that effect every time. not sure why. but now i use it as a spot treatment since its expensive and i really love it for that purpose.

Origins Checks and Balances cleanser - I use this as my first cleanser if I wore make up that day. It gets off all my eye make up (I don't use anything waterproof). I then will go in with the boscia cleanser and my clarisonic.

Clarisonic - I like this, I notice if I use it religiously I'm less likely to get my hormonal breakouts and it helps prevent me from getting blackheads on my chin and cheeks (it doesn't help much with my nose, though).

Toner

Clinique Toner 3 - I've just always used this one. It may be a little harsh to some people so you may not like this one. But its pretty affordable for the quantity. Another tip - if you find acne treatments drying out your skin, one thing I've started doing that has made a world of a difference is I no longer wash my face in the morning... I just go in with toner so it feels clean. Neither of the cleansers I mentioned are super drying but my face was always tight after using them in the AM (despite it being very oily).

Korres Wild Rose Sleeping Facial - first let me start with a warning- this is very potently scented of rose you can smell it on your face for a while so have a sniff before buying. BUT. this is supposed to be a brightening moisturizer, and its on the heavier side which I like for night even though I'm oily. I think this stuff is amazing. It would help fade my acne scars! I actually just finished my first bottle and since I love trying new products I switched to Algenist. It's so much more apparent now that my new acne scarring isn't fading! Gonna have to buy another jar!

Sunscreen

Murad SPF 15 mattifier - you didn't mention but if you have oily skin, this is a miracle. I've tried so many mattifying products that don't work. Nothing is truly going to keep me matte all day, but this works really well. It is a THICK product. I massage it in right after my moisturizer when my face still has some slip. Its SPF 15... would have been nice if it were 30... but I will give you an option for that. This is a chemical sunscreen.

MD SolarSciences tinted creme SPF 30 - this is a natural sunscreen. It has that primer silicone-y feel, so it fills in pores and gives a touch of color to even out skintone (its best for light-med skintone). I have been straying away from this lately though because it seems to be breaking me out lately?? I will have to try it again when I'm not expecting to get my hormonal breakouts... could have just been a coincidence this past time. But if you know you are good with natural sunscreen you might like this. Doesn't help with oil control.

Misc

Murad Age Spot/Pigment lightening serum - ok. This stuff is intense. 2% hydroquinone to fade acne scars. (a derm would give you a 4% likely). This truly works. However it is potent so you're only recommended to use it for 3 months at a time (with a 3 month break in between I believe). You aren't supposed to use if pregnant. I had an allergic reaction to NARS blushes and it left me with a lot of red marks on my cheeks. I used this to speed up the fading process and it worked really well. Then I continued with the Ole Henriksen Truth Serum and that Korres Wild Rose sleeping facial to help finish. Since I knew i wasn't going to keep getting marks there since I identified the problem, I wanted it faded asap.

Alright! So perhaps not that helpful but I figured I would let you know what I use. Some from the lines you mentioned but ultimately I can't compare those 3 for you. Fresh is a little bit more on the expensive side so I tend to not look into it much. I've tried samples of the lotus cream etc etc and they didn't excite me enough to purchase. Good luck with finding a new regimen!

Re: Fresh, Boscia, or Origins

To add: Korress wild rose mask, it's the vitamin c (rose) that helps with acne and lessens it. To me it didn't have a strong smell.

For nose 'blackheads' they are most likely sebaceous filaments. True blackheads are not a uniformed pattern and tend to be rough when you take a finger to go over the area, the head oxidizes resulting in a darker tip. SFs, the area is smooth to the touch, uniformed pattern and are just oil blockage, these typically appear on the nose and the gunk that comes out is more yellowish without a dark tip, these don't go away.